MV Rena

[julianfitter]

Just an update on the situation.
The Maritime Zealand Website: http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Incident/timeline.asp is much improved and has around 3 regular media release each day.
Also they have agreed to the deployment of floating absorbent booms at Maketu and Little Waihi Harbours, we do not knwo how effective this will be, but it must help.
Julian

[Neil Fitzgerald]

Listening to Julian on the radio. Good interview, well done.

[julianfitter]

Boom Update
The construction of the boom deployed was not up to the job, very thin rope core, it broke, so we strapped the whole boom to a much heavier rope and it survived overnight. No working on getting a second boom in place and one for Little Waihi also.
So far no oil here, but everyone, including the 'experts' reckon it is only a matter of time.

Julian

[Tim Barnard]

Latest from Julian - he is a hero ....


Apologies for lateness, but very busy day
Think the bay will sink from an excess of important politicians!

The oil has reached Maketu, small amounts at present, but wind is now west of North, so we are likely to get more, it is also on Newdick's, but small amounts, and no sign in Little Waihi, at least on this side,

The boom at Maketu is holding and has picked up some oil.

The boom at Little Waihi failed as the ties holding it to the rope were not strong enough, I am heading off now to help sort that.

There is a public meeting at the fire station in Maketu, 6.00 pm tonight, Wednesday.

There is a plan in process to remove the Dotterel from the spit as a precaution, not an ideal solution, but the danger of large amounts of oil on the spit is much greater.
If you see people over there, it is OK.

Do not pick up the oil or even touch it, very nasty stuff.

Rena has lost 70 containers, but the contents are the property of the owners, not the finder!

More later

[Oscar Thomas]

If needed, Places to move the Dotterel are
Auckland Zoo
Omaha Spit
Whakanewha Bay, Waiheke
Mt Bruce
Mangere Sewage Ponds
Motuora Island

[andrewcrossland]

Its horrific to see what is happening in the BOP. Back in 2001 I was in the middle of a breeding study of Malaysian Plovers in Singapore when an oil barge exploded a couple of km offshore, washing the beach with oil. There were oiled birds everywhere, including endangered Chinese Egrets. I asked local conservationists why nothing was being done about it - the answer was that the Singaporean Govt considered the birds were not of economic value, so why help them? They were left and the beach was left. The birds died, the oil filtered down through the sand and incredibly the ecology bounced back.

In the BOP disaster though, the oil looks much thicker and more lethal. We all pretty much know its gonna take a long long time to bounce back.

I never heard any discussion in the media about refloating the ship, so I assume that option wasn't on the cards. As pretty much everyone living along the BOP coastline concluded by about day 2 - it was therefore inevitable that this ship was gonna break up and the oil and cargo fall into the sea.

Having been involved with the incident management in NZ and the almighty CIMS system, it was inevitable I guess that the response would come far too late. (CIMS is all about a careful, checked and balanced, minimal liability, H&S-focused approach, which is all fine and good, but it stops rapid response dead in its tracks). Lets hope the many wildlife rescuers who have rallied to the cause can now do their job without too much obstruction.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

I was mid-post, about to say I saw you counting dead birds on the TV tonight. Obviously a big and unpleasant job. Thanks for the grim stats.
Have to wonder what proportion of dead birds are actually being recovered. Is preventing people going to the beach going to reduce recoveries as was suggested on the news? It will be interesting to see what the effect is on the local seabird colonies that have some level of monitoring.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

The attached report might be of interest. The short of it is that (being a heavy fuel oil) the good news is that would mean less toxic compounds getting into the water. The bad news is that it would be more resistant to microbial degradation and so the oil that gets onto the shorelines will be more persistent.

[Brent Stephenson]

Hi all,

I was asked to remove Colin's post due to the data having not been released through the appropriate channels. We have to be very careful as it is a fine line to tread, remembering there will be ongoing work to recover costs and make those involved accountable.

I would just say that having been involved with this from the very start I am constantly amazed by the knowledge, expertise, and drive of the people involved, from all aspects of the response. This is not an ad hoc group running this response, but a team of incredibly experienced people who know what they are doing. If things haven't been done as those in the public expect, it has been for good reason.

I'd ask that people be as supportive of the efforts as possible, work with those involved directly and not form splinter groups of well meaning people. Lets work together on this. If you want to be involved with the Wildlife Response then please call 0800 333 771 (experienced bird handlers will be especially valuable over the coming weeks), and if you want to be part of the wider cleanup response then please call 0800 645 774.

Regards,

[Colin Miskelly]

Thanks Brent

I agree with your comments about the professionalism of the operation.

A point of clarification about the posting now removed:

I was told when I arrived that I was free both to talk to the media and to make blog postings about the information obtained during bird pathology. I have just been informed via phone that this is either no longer the case, or that I was instructed incorrectly.

Regards
Colin